temporary
/ˈtɛmp(ə)rəri
/adjective
Lasting for only a limited period of time; not permanent: a temporary job...
- In the past, permanent and temporary staff always had the same pay and conditions.
- He is living here, but we do not know whether this is a permanent or temporary arrangement.
- He hoped the company would assist them in finding temporary accommodation.
Synonyms
non-permanent, short-term, interim;
provisional, pro tem, makeshift, stopgap;
acting, fill-in, stand-in, caretaker;
Latin ad interim, pro tempore
brief, short-lived, momentary, fleeting, passing, impermanent, here today and gone tomorrow, transient, transitory, ephemeral, evanescent, fugitive
rare fugacious
noun (plural temporaries)
A person employed on a temporary basis, typically an office worker who finds employment through an agency: to gain flexibility, companies are bringing in temporaries or contracting out work...See also temp1.
- They're paying overtime to existing employees or hiring temporaries instead.
- They provide temporaries to firms needing replacement workers on a short-term basis.
- You'd think that employers would try to fill the gap with temporaries.
Derivatives
temporariness
/ noun ...- The book celebrating being single, but nevertheless stressed the importance of its temporariness.
- The appearance of temporariness gives the tent a modesty and humility.
Origin
Mid 16th century: from Latin temporarius, from tempus, tempor- 'time'.